You can’t decide what to paint. Your characters aren’t playing nicely. The flow of words has dwindled to a dribble. You’re so sunk in this mood that you don’t even know if you want to be an author or artist anymore. Have you ever felt this way?

Hopefully at some point in this downward spiral you notice yourself spinning your wheels and spiralling into despair … because once you’re aware, you can put the brakes on, stop the slide and BOUNCE BACK.

Get your journal ready, and let’s jump right in!

Recognise … Identify the nature of your current predicament. Write about it in your journal. Scribble down everything that is going wrong … don’t worry, this is the only step where you’ll be dwelling in negativity. Voice your frustration. Why? Defining a problem is also the first step towards finding a solution.

Realise it hurts when you hit a roadblock. Something didn’t work out. Maybe it was just a hiccup that interrupted your flow, or maybe life threw you a curveball that left you reeling. Either way, things didn’t go as planned. Sit with your uncomfortable feelings. Accept that you have reached this point. You are feeling what you are feeling. You won’t always feel this way, but now you do. That’s ok.

Reset … Forgive and forget. Forgive yourself if you’ve landed here by self-sabotage. Forgive someone else if they contributed to your slump. Forget about wallowing in guilt, regret and shame. Instead, allow yourself to declare that this is the right moment for a fresh start.

Resolve … DECIDE to take action, accept the challenges and embrace the opportunities. Resolve to do whatever it takes to get back on track. Renae Marie Sutton shared this thought in my writing support group: “When you’re doing something bad, or falling off the wagon, limit the duration of the fail.” Why wait until next month or next week to do the things that will make you live well and feel better? NOW is the right time to stop the slide.

Reassure yourself that you’re going to be ok. Trust yourself to find a way forward. By the end of this process you’ll be on track and bouncing back!

Rethink … It’s time to identify some actionable steps. Start a list now and add to it as you continue to read. In your journal consider questions like: What next? What IS possible? What would be helpful? What DO I want? How can I move in that direction? Gather ideas. As much as possible, phrase your answers positively.

Rekindle your passion by sifting through your personal notebooks, sketchbooks and idea files. Feel the sparks within you as you see these reminders of what you’ve already done. Will you resist the urge to dive right in when something grabs your attention? Or will you make a stack of possibilities and make a date with yourself to peruse them more closely?

Reignite the spark of inspiration. Visit a bookshop, art gallery or stationery store. Attend a poetry slam, book launch, ballet or theatre. Seeing other people do what they love is always uplifting and inspiring.

Rejuvenate yourself! Bring back the fun. Reflect on what makes you feel alive, aligned and awesome … then do these things! They might have nothing to do with your creative practice, but they have everything to do with being fully you … dance, strum your ukulele, wear your favourite bracelet, take a hike in the bush or play in the surf.

Renew your enthusiasm by talking with a creative friend about what they’re working on. Just listen, ask questions, be encouraging and be curious. To give is more blessed than to receive.

Reinvigorate … Identify an activity you can use during pauses in your creative routine that is energising and good for your overall health. Maybe yoga, a quick walk, sweeping the porch or doing some simple stretches.

Rediscover … Ask yourself “What’s Working”? Journal about this once a month or so, then when you have a setback you can refer to these lists and get back on track more easily. I’ll be sharing some of my ‘What’s Working’ lists soon.

Reframe … Use your journal to reframe negative thoughts, worries and overwhelm, and solve your own problems. I’ve done this numerous times, and it has become a habit. Next week I’ll share some prompts and examples to get you started.

Reimagine … If you still feel stuck on a particular creative project, sometimes it helps to reimagine the possibilities. Maybe a change is needed … turn the canvas upside down or on it’s side; cover your painting with clear perspex and sketch ideas right on top; rewrite a chapter from the perspective of a different character; try writing in rhyming verse for a while. Without deleting anything, just play with ideas for a while and see what emerges.

Remember WHO you are … reflect on the many facets of your personality, interests and abilities. If you find meaning through your faith, also remember WHOSE you are. Write about it in your journal.

Reflect on times when you’ve overcome obstacles, big and small. What helped? What held you back? Can you think of any turning points, or any strategies you employed that you can replicate?

Review … WHY you do what you do? What motivates you to do the work of being a writer, artist, musician etc.? Or, what has been your answer to these questions in the past? Are those reasons still relevant?

Routines … Set yourself up for success. Think about when and where you do your best work. It’s ok to have an ideal writing or art making routine in your mind, but also consider what actually works in your current reality. Brainstorm. Experiment. Learn. Notice patterns.

Restart … Give yourself a fresh start. Reset yourself with a fresh, clean workspace and a positive mindset. Add to your list of actionable steps from Step 6, and pick one as a starting point. Today is a new day … you can make things happen!

Resume … DO the things that work for you. There’s no magic formula or perfect moment. Just DO the next right thing! Open your Scrivener file. Take your layout book and charcoal to the park. Set up watercolours and play alongside your children. Jot down plot points on a notepad. Put on a movie without the sound and write down what you think the characters are saying.

Return to your creative work again tomorrow. Return to a project you feel excited about. Return to being the creative person you were born to be!

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A list like this is never finished. I’ll expand on some of these ideas in future blog posts and add more links within this article. Please write any additional tips you can think of in the comments, or share your own creative life ‘bounce back’ story.

Whether you have been writing for years or weeks, if you’re looking to take your writing to the next level there are 3 things you can do to set yourself up for success:

Step 1: SET a SMART GOAL

It’s fun exploring all of the possibilities in writing (endless, exciting, inspiring possibilities) but there is also a time to commit to seeing a particular project through to completion. And there IS a way to set a goal that maximises your chances of succeeding.

Make sure your goal is SMART … Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, Time-sensitive.
Kacie Berghoef explains the concept beautifully here, or you may like to read here about the origins of the SMART goal-setting technique.

For example, during this challenge my SMART goal is to:

Write a particular new non-fiction ebook (Specific).

Finish the first draft (Measurable) by the end of January (Time-sensitive).

I have written the outline and don’t need to do much research on this topic, so I believe it is possible to achieve my goal within the timeframe (Realistic).

I am the person who will be doing the writing for this book … I have a plan of action and I know what I need to do each time I sit down to write (Assignable).

Step 2: BELIEVE

If your goal is SMART, it’s time to believe you can achieve it!

It’s possible to replace your limiting beliefs with quiet confidence. Believe you can do it, then act accordingly. It’s that hard, and that easy.

If believing in your ability to reach your writing goals is hard for you, you’re not alone. I used to struggle with crippling self-doubt. I thought that to pursue my dreams with confidence was prideful and vain. Now I believe that it’s ok to embrace who I am, share what I’ve learned and do my best to make a difference in whatever humble ways I can (one of those ways is through writing, yay!)

If you can relate to this, stay tuned … one day soon I’ll be sharing links to some resources and mentors that have helped transform my mindset in ways that are authentic and perfectly aligned with my values, personality and passions.

Step 3: CREATE and COMMIT

Create the conditions you need to succeed. Do the simple things, like making sure you have plenty of pens and paper, and that your laptop is charged. Then take a moment to brainstorm what else you need, and how you can get as close to that as possible.

For example, at the moment what I need in order to succeed is:

Self discipline around time – I need to act like the prolific, published author I aspire to be, planning ahead and choosing wisely how I use my writing time each day, taking care not to spend too much time writing at the expense of my other priorities.

Space – I can easily organise my desk and I’ve already prepared a bag with essential supplies for writing when I am away from home.

Energy – it’s time to put my good intentions into action with nourishing food and adequate sleep; self-discipline seems to be a theme for me!

Create the conditions you think will give you the best chance of achieving your goal, then make the most of the days when things go according to plan.

And because life isn’t perfect …

Commit to doing whatever you can when things don’t go according to plan. My contingency plan for busy days is to squeeze in two 5 minute writing sessions and a 7 minute sprint. I have also made a list of the biggest challenges I am likely to face and possible ways to deal with them. Perhaps I’ll share more about that another day.

Set yourself up for success, then dive into your writing project!

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I wrote this pep talk for the “17 in 17 Writing Challenge” I am running on Facebook. The purpose of the challenge is to establish a more consistent writing habit by writing on a specific project, for at least 17 minutes, every day for 17 consecutive days. Not too daunting, but a pivotal step in creating a sustainable writing practice. If you like the sound of the challenge and want to join in just follow the link to the Facebook group, and click ‘join’.

In the survival story I was writing for NaNoWriMo last November, my characters were stranded in the wilderness … an imaginary and extremely remote area somewhere near Barrington Tops in NSW, Australia, to be precise. When I last saw them, Indi and her friends were only just discovering the depth of their predicament.

That was several months ago, and my characters are still there. I didn’t finishing the story, and I left the children stranded there, in the bush, fending for themselves through flooding rain and searing heat. Poor darlings!

Fortunately, I escaped … did I even deserve to survive after abandoning a bunch of children in such horrifying circumstances?

Ahem. Normally at this point I would still be stuck there, drowning in despair and procrastination, frying in the heat of self-criticism … but this time something was different, and thankfully I wasn’t lost for too long.

I’d better rescue those kids sometime soon … in the meantime, I have SO much to tell you!

For the last six months I’ve been buzzing with learning, experimenting, and implementing strategies in my daily life which have changed the way I work as a writer and artist. I wish I was better at recording the process as it occurred, so that I could present you with a foolproof rescue remedy. Instead of keeping a detailed journal I was busy making up for lost time, and I just shared snapshots and snippets on Facebook.

Tomorrow I will share the first instalment in my “Survival Guide for Stranded Writers” series. I am excited to share what I’ve learned, and hope it will be super helpful!

I’m back after a break from my normal life. A week away from writing too, as it happens. I thought surely I could squeeze in a little writing and painting here and there. I worried that a break from my new routine might be painful and possibly dangerous.

What if I became lazy and disillusioned, or lost interest in my book?

As it turns out, I didn’t have time to miss writing!
And I didn’t end up despising my book.

My family spent almost a week at Kid’s Camp, and my main role was assistant activity leader. No internet or computer. Falling into my dormitory bunk at night exhausted. Up at dawn to help cook breakfast. Barely enough time to send a text message. Any breaks were dedicated to having a shower or nap (not a tranquil nap, more a collapse-amidst-the-chaos kind of nap).

It was fun working with friends and being surrounded by happy (boisterous) children. New sights and sounds and things to talk about. Most meals (delicious and healthy) cooked for me! And I am relieved to report that none of my fears about the demise of my writing dreams materialised. By the time I got home and had a shower and a nap, I felt excited, confident and ready to press on. Whew!

Back in the saddle …

I finished my first, handwritten draft of ‘Writer’s Apprenticeship’ before packing for camp, so that was the first goal achieved. Yay! Now it’s time to type it into Scrivener and start polishing: editing, adding links, quotes and anecdotes, checking references and so on. I am still planning to have it ready for sale on Kindle by 1st November this year.

A new spark …

Coming home, I also started to feel a glimmer of enthusiasm for NaNoWriMo 2016, which I had (quite decisively) planned to skip. Fiction-writing and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship, and I had intended to stick with simply writing and publishing my non-fiction book.

I started to play with new ideas, and let my pen do the talking, and before I knew it a new story had been born! I am journaling the prewriting phase (aka NaNoPrepMo) on InkyWings Facebook. I have no idea what to call this story for now, but the temporary working title is ‘BeWILDering’.

Onwards …

After my week away from writing I have a fresh perspective and a new appreciation for the creative time my lifestyle allows. The learning curve I’m on is steep but exhilarating. October will be spent preparing one book for publication, planning a new novel, and playing with pencils, paint and pastels to bring some visual ideas to life.

by Vanessa Preston

Do you feel like something about your writing needs to change, but you’re not sure what? Or you have an idea of what, but you wonder how?

A month ago I felt exactly like that. After a pivotal point in my personal life, I wrote in my journal to figure out what I actually wanted to do in life. Writing and Art stayed on the list. Phew!

So, I knew I wanted to write … but the novel I was working on was full of plot holes. Big plot holes, like lack of conflict, and an absent antagonist. I didn’t want that to stop me so I decided my first goal would simply be to ‘Rekindle the Spark’ in my writing.

Whilst searching resources to learn the skills to overcome those obstacles, I discovered some new websites, worksheets, ecourses and a stack of ebooks by Kristen Kieffer and Jennifer Blanchard. They were either free or very affordable (like $1), and they transformed my mindset and inspired daily, positive action. I printed, signed up, bought, read, and basically soaked up the lessons and did the exercises as if my life depended on it!

Within two weeks I established new habits and worked out what I really wanted to do, writing wise. I was still struggling with my fiction writing, so having ticked the boxes in my ‘Rekindle the Spark’ plan, I set myself two new goals:

My non-fiction ebook grew wings and took off. All I had to do each day was show up and let my pen spill ideas onto the page. Two weeks in, I am almost finished the first draft, and I plan to have the book ready for Kindle by the end of October. I have promised readers on my Inky Wings Facebook page that I will announce the title this week.

One of my pivot points was simply deciding to take action to make my writing dreams come true. Another was realising that writing non-fiction comes more naturally to me than fiction writing. I LOVE the spark of new ideas, crafting a plot and creating characters, but non-fiction is another legitimate way to be a writer. I accepted that publishing my non-fiction is a more achievable goal right now than finishing my novels. Their time will come. While I learn what I need to progress in fiction writing, I can make other parts of my writing dreams come true.

Katy at Elsie Road Magazine asked a great question today:“I’d love to hear your stories of pivoting–what worked?
What didn’t? How did you know the time was right?”